Fairless Board of Education names new athletic director
Zachary Michel
Fairless Board of Education granted a two-year athletic director administrative contract to Zachary Michel during the April 16 board meeting. His contract is effective Aug. 1, 2024. The board also accepted the resignation of Nate Held, athletic director, effective Feb. 4, 2025, at the latest. Held will help Michel transition into the position.
Michel is coming to Fairless from Jackson Local School District, where he has served as a teacher, coach, and director of operations for football and lacrosse for kindergarten to 12th grade.
Cindy Class, middle school principal, reported on the master schedule changes. The sixth grade will have more instruction of elementary-style math and English/language arts. The classes will be designed to be more traditional for sixth-grade students.
Julie Miller, food service director, gave an update on online menus. Parents will be able to review the menus and nutrition needs for their child and identify allergies.
Fairless Superintendent Mike Hearn informed the board that Stark County will be notifying taxpayers of the property revaluation in August. The Ohio Tax Appeals Board has issued a decision in the Rover Natural Pipeline. Rover, Ohio and county auditors are engaged in working to settle the valuation appeal.
Hearn also informed the district that the 10-year substitute levy will expire in 2026 and the board will need to decide soon about the time frame for putting the renewal levy on the ballot.
The board also did the following:
—Issued one-year supplemental head coaching contracts to Chad Pfeiffer, girls basketball; Aaron Sarbaugh, football; Benjamin Russell, cross country; Ryan Murgatroyd, wrestling; Brian Schultz, girls golf; and David Stuck, boys soccer.
—Granted a one-year supplemental coaching contract to nondistrict employee Cody Knobloch, girls soccer.
—Entered into a contract with the Stark County Educational Service Center to provide services for $128,177 to be deducted from state foundation payments to Fairless LSD.
—Approved a contract with Stark County ESC to provide Title III English Language Learner Consortium Services.
—Entered a contract with SPARCC from June 1, 2024, to July 31, 2025, to provide technology support at an estimated cost of $600,000.
—Adopted 12 revised board policies.
—Accepted the resignations of Dana Nash, paraprofessional aide; Anna Widder, monitor; Bryan Morrison, head boys basketball, all effective May 31; and Tracy Kuemerle, cook, effective April 12.
—Approved a one-year probationary contract to Anna Widder, classified librarian, effective for the 2024-25 school year.
—Approved Cindy Class and Theresa Lemus Santos, summer school co-directors.
Other information
The district received an unqualified opinion from the state auditor’s report.
All extracurricular/supplemental limited contracts of current staff will expire at the end of the current contract year.
The next board meeting will be held May 21 at 6:15 p.m. at Fairless High School, 800 Seventh St., Brewster.